Here comes the rain...

Here comes the rain 

 Falling on my head like a memory
Falling on my head like a new emotion
I want to walk in the open wind
I want to talk like lovers do
I want to dive into your ocean
Is it raining with you?

 Photo credit : Unknown

Thankful for the rain - and there's more to come

Image from "Die Beeld" Newspaper

After suffering a drought most of last summer, this January has brought (almost) more rain than we can handle. While the farmers and us gardeners are ecstatic about the rain, some suburban areas in Krugersdorp (Gauteng, South Africa) and other areas have been hard hit with lots of destruction. At the Walter Sisulu Botanical gardens in Roodepoort the normally placid waterfall turned into a raging torrent, washing away bridges and sending the newly fledged young Black Eagle seeking the safety of his nest high up on the cliffs. You can see the video of the waterfall HERE.  

I think it is a symptom of all the development in the catchment area. With all the new housing estates going up in the area, more hard surfaces means less water penetration into the soil and larger, more spectacular flash floods. According to the SA Weather Service, this storm is in a band coming from the north, through Botswana and North West. Water flowing through water courses caused the Monument Dam at Key West Shopping Mall to overflow, spilling millions of litres into a nearby school, which had to be closed, while the water rushed through various parts of the town.

Watch this short video.


For the past three weeks, we've been having afternoon thunderstorms with 30mm on most days, but the whopper was on Saturday night and early Sunday morning, when my rain gauge over-flowed, meaning more than 100mm in just over 18 hours. I didn't write it down, but my estimate is 450mm for the month. My chickens sought the safety of the coop, not venturing out until it had all subsided after lunch-time.

I've always wanted to live either at the beach or the banks of a river, but Mother Nature is so unpredictable these days, I think for the moment I will settle for the high, flat plains of Gauteng.


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First rains

::

beauty
is as simple
as the morning after
a night
filled with
rain

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The first drops of rain always bring a smile to our faces. The smell of wet soil, the damp grass, and the slosh of puddles under our feet make us want to dance with wanton joy. Rains make a heart go romantic. Rains bring joy to the Earth. Rains announce that Nature is alive and well. Walking through the first rains is always a pleasant experience, something which we have cherished and will admire for ages.

Yesterday we had the first rains of our season - a full 55mm! I could just about hear the plants singing, although I felt very sorry for my chickens and all the garden birds - they were all thoroughly drenched and looking decidedly sorry for themselves. My Obsessive Compulsive Robin sought refuge in the house, spending most of his time between snacking on the mince I put on the kitchen counter for him, sitting on the lampshade on my desk in the dining room, only flying out when someone approached.

However, the first seasonal rains led to flooding and road closures across South Africa yesterday. In Gauteng, thunderstorms and heavy rains on Wednesday night caused flooding in Cleveland, Parktown, on the M1 highway at Smith Street, at Klipspruit Valley Road and New Canada Road in Soweto. There were also numerous reports of accidents caused by the wet roads. That always amazes me, how people tend to drive the same way when it's wet as when it's dry - one gentleman managed to roll his Mercedes SLK sports car not far from us here in Tarlton, with a reported speed of 140kph down the Game Reserve Hill in pouring rain!

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The earth sizzled,
The air simmered.
The heat rattled,
Everything around smoldered.

One fine day fair,
The winds started to blow.
Calmed down the air,
Someone was saying hello.

One calm evening,
When everything seemed timeless,
It was a blessing,
To experience a drizzle temptress.

The wet land,
The soaked grass,
Nature's design grand,
I experienced it at last.

I walked through the rainfall,   
Got myself a bit drenched.
It didn't fail to enthrall,
My thirst had finally quenched
- Unknown

Grateful for...

... the rain

::

Lately the rain here in Gauteng, South Africa, always amazes me. It's so NOISY! Where are the days when rain gently fell with a soft pitter-patter on the roof, lulling the senses into sleep? These days it's accompanied by high winds, HUGE raindrops that drown out even your voice and wild thunder and lightning beating about the landscape with a viciousness that is quite scary.

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Nevertheless, I am GRATEFUL for the rain...

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Photograph of my patio on a textured back-ground by Kim Klassen

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